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[deleted526278]

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[Maebea]

Getting a MS while in med school is like pissing your pants while wearing dark trousers: it will give you a good, warm feeling, but almost no one else will notice. That being said, I think you should go ahead and do it since you seem to love research. Even if it does not lead to anything more career-wise, it will allow you to do something your really like with a minimum of inconvenience. (Your next chance to pursue a passion fulltime for a year will be about 45 years from now, when you retire.)

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for that perspective (and analogy). Do you think the year off (and corresponding year off of making physician $) would be enough of a financial burden to not do it? And do residency AdComs really not look more favorably on Master's level research vs. doing a little research in the summers between med school?

When it comes to research in residency apps, there's a PhD and there's everything else. From a month-long elective in your uncle's lab to a Master's degree, they're all basically the same.

Maebea's analogy is spot on but left out the part where you'll eventually get cold and uncomfortable (the year or 2 behind you'll be without much to show for it).

If you want to spend a year or 2 doing some research because it's something you think will be fun/awesome/interesting then go for it. If you want to use it to improve your residency chances either do a PhD or just skip it.

 

[ratherbefishing]

It won't hurt. What do you want to go into? Many of the very competitive residencies look for some research component. You might be able to snag an HHMI or Doris Duke fellowship between second and third year.

Remember that you'll probably get a research year somewhere in residency if you need to scratch that itch.